Paylos Matesis

Pavlos Matesis (1933-2013) was born in the village of Divri, in the Peloponnese. Until the age of 19, he lived in various provincial towns. He studied acting at the Vachlioti Drama School, as well as music and foreign languages (English, French, Spanish). He worked as a bank clerk before abandoning his career to dedicate himself to theater and literature. As an actor, he appeared as the Son in Bost's "Fausta" and as Einstein in Kesselring's comedy "Arsenic and Old Lace." He taught acting at the Stavrakos School (1963-64) and served as an assistant dramaturge at the National Theatre between 1971-1973. He also wrote and directed two television series that aired on YENED (1974-76) and contributed texts for Floor Show. Matesis made his literary debut with the one-act play "The Station" in 1964, which was recognized in the "Twelfth Curtain" theater company's competition. This was followed by "The Ceremony," which won the State Theater Award in 1966 and was performed by the Nea Ionia Theater of George Michailidis the following year, and two years later by the National Theatre. In the early phase of his theatrical work, Matesis focused on the harsh demystification of Greek middle-class life, later shifting towards a style reminiscent of the Theater of the Absurd, with clear references to Samuel Beckett's work, culminating in "The Ghost of Mr. Ramon Novarro." His play "Towards Eleusis," inspired by William Faulkner's novel "As I Lay Dying," offered a subversive depiction of life from the perspective of death, incorporating elements of Greek tradition from ancient tragedy to folk songs and customs, all viewed through an inverted lens. In prose, he made his debut in 1987 with the novella "Aphrodite" and gained recognition in 1990 with "Dog's Mother," which examines contemporary Greek society through the eyes of its central character, the psychotic Raraou. "Dog's Mother" was translated into several foreign languages and included in Quintet Publishing's list "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die." Matesis continued exploring similar themes in his short story collection "Forest Matter" and the novel "The Ancient of Days." His novel "Always Well," which he described as a romantic novel, along with "Dark Guide," "Myrtos," "Aldebaran," and the parodic "Graffito," also reflect his subversive writing style. He was also involved in translating literary and theoretical works by authors such as Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Aristophanes, Molière, Ibsen, Beaumarchais, Vitrac, Artaud, Pinter, Mamet, Shepard, and Arrabal. He passed away in Athens on January 20, 2013, at the age of 80, while hospitalized in a private clinic following a stroke. Awards and Distinctions: 1. Recognition in the one-act play competition of the "12 Curtain" theater organization (1964) for "The Station." 2. State Theater Award 1966 for the play "The Ceremony." 3. "Karolos Koun" Award - City of Athens 1989 for the best Greek play of the year ("Plant Caretaker"). 4. Greek-speaking Southern Italy Award (1998) for his novel "Dog's Mother." 5. Grand Prize of Theatre Critics, 2000. 6. Acerbi Award (2002) for the novel "Dog's Mother." He has translated into Greek works by: Mrojek, Ben Johnson, Roger Vitrac, Harold Pinter, Henrik Ibsen, Sean O'Casey, Fernando Arrabal, Joe Orton, Antonin Artaud, Margaret Atwood, Map. Macdonald, William Shakespeare, Beaumarchais, Stendhal, Alain Fournier, Stratis Haviaras, Alba Ambert, Peter Ackroyd, William Faulkner, and into modern Greek the works of Aristophanes: "Peace," "Wealth," "Frogs," "Clouds," "Birds," "Acharnians," "Thesmophoriazusae," "Lysistrata." Works: Theatrical Plays: - "Towards Eleusis," Athens, Estia, 1995 - "Exile," Athens, Estia, 1982 - "Wolf-Wolf," Athens, Estia, 1984 - "Short Stories," Athens, Kedros, 1976 - "The Deposition," Athens, Kedros, 1969 - "The Ghost of Mr. Ramon Novarro," Athens, Kedros, 1973; Kastaniotis, 1997 - "Small Urban Law," Athens, Kedros, 1984 - "Plant Caretaker," Athens, Kedros, 1989, Kastaniotis, 1997 - "Biochemistry," Athens, Dodoni, 1971; Kastaniotis, 1997 - "The Ceremony," Athens, Kastaniotis, 1997 - "The Noise," Athens, Kastaniotis, 1997 - "Guardian Angel for Rent," Athens, Estia, 2002 Prose: - "Aphrodite," Athens, Estia, 1986, 2000 - "Forest Matter," short stories, Athens, Kastaniotis, 2000 - "The Dog's Mother," Athens, Kastaniotis, 1990 - "The Ancient of Days," Athens, Kastaniotis, 1994 - "Always Well," Athens, Kastaniotis, 1998, 2002 - "Dark Guide," Athens, Kastaniotis, 2002 - "Myrtos," Athens, Kastaniotis, 2004 - "Aldebaran," Athens, Kastaniotis, 2007 - "Graffito," Athens, Kastaniotis, 2009 Translations: In English: - "The Daughter: A Novel" [tr. by]: Fred A. Reed. London, Arcadia Press, 2002 In French: - "L'enfant de chienne" [tr. by]: Jacques Bouchard. Paris, Editions Gallimard - Du Monde Entier, 1993 - "L'ancien des jours" [tr. by]: Jacques Bouchard Paris, Actes Sud, 1997 In German: - "Die Tochter der Hundin," [tr. by]: Birgit Hildebrand. Munich, Carl Hanser Verlag, 2001 In Italian: - "Madre di cane" [tr. by]: Alberto Gabrieli. Milan, Crocetti Editore, 1999 - "L'Antico dei Giorni" [tr. by]: Alberto Gabrieli. Milan, Crocetti Editore, 1999 - "Always Well," [tr. by]: Alberto Gabrieli. Milan, Crocetti Editore, 1999 In Spanish: - "Memorias de una hija de perra" [tr. by]: Kristina Serna. Barcelona, Seix Barral, 1994 - "El Padre de los tiempos" [tr. by]: Kristina Serna. Barcelona, Seix Barral, 1994 - "El Padre de los tiempos" [tr. by]: Margarita Ramirez - Montesinos. Madrid, Amaranto, 1999 In Dutch: - "De Moeder Van De Hono," [tr. by]: Hero Hokwerda. Amsterdam, Uitgeverij Bakker, Prometeus, 1997 In Yugoslavian: - "Drevan od postanja dana," [tr. by]: Gaga Rosic. Belgrade, Stubovi Kulture, 1998 - "MAJKA ΠCA," [tr. by]: Gaga Rosic. Belgrade, Deyce Novine, 1994